My name is Tony Elliott. I am contacting you today to inform the Ontario Government of the negative effects of an extended lockdown on the horse racing industry.
This extended lockdown of the racing industry will have enormous strain on the participants and those whose incomes are directly affected. Our industry employees thousands of people throughout the province. We have operated for seven months with very few cases in the racing industry. We have worked diligently through these months and we are prepared to act swiftly to adhere to any or all new protocols and operational procedures that could be implemented at our respective racetracks. Our equine athletes are a major part of not only agriculture in rural Ontario, but it is also a professional sport. We have grave concerns that the extension of the lockdown will buckle our industry.
We stand with our industry leaders at Ontario Racing, Woodbine Entertainment and COSA in their push for a quick return to racing. As an individual who relies on racing at The Raceway at Western Fair District and Hanover Raceway to earn a living, I am asking for your consideration and consultation with local and Provincial Health/Government Officials to explore the return of racing. We are committed to continued health and safety of all participants and the well-being of overall public health.
We applaud the strong and continued cooperation we have received from your government and look forward to continued dialogue to move our industry forward.
Thank you,
Tony Elliott
The views presented in Trot Blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Standardbred Canada.